Searching For Love
by Mira White
Summary: On a quest to reunite herself with her one true love, Lily encouters something that may change her life forever.
1. Lost

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Harry Potter, but I do own Jonathon Pimiskiss (you'll meet him in a later chapter!).

Author's Note: Hey guys! Ok, I'm just warning you now that this story is kind of weird. Well, actually, I'm not sure if you guys would consider it weird or not. My friend said it was clever. But it isn't your usual love/hate fic. It's an original idea. **=**shrugs= I don't know what you guys will think, but PLEASE R+R!

"Searching For Love" Chapter 1: Lost By Sailor Polaris 

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            "James, guess what!" Lily Evans, a redhead, seventh year Gryffindor girl, came rushing out of the portrait hole, almost tripping over own feet, only to be caught by the person she sought after, James Potter. She gave him a smile of thanks, which he returned warmly. "Guess what, James!"

            A grin played at his lips. "What?"

            "Sirius complimented me! He said that the prank I played on you guys was the most original he's ever seen!" she replied excitedly. Red tinted her face in a blush, and a faraway look inhabited her eyes.

            James smiled inwardly. Lily had been after Sirius for years, but Sirius was too blind to see the light. According to Lily, she was, 'head over heels in love with him.' "Good for you, Lil. That's one of the first signs that he likes you. Maybe he'll come around in a few days."

            Lily shone like the sun. "I sure hope so! It's taken him long enough!" She paused for a moment then continued. "Look, I have to go meet Marcy in the library. I'll fill you in later if Sirius does anything else!" The young girl raced off down the hall, leaving trails of dust behind.

            Tears replaced the faked happiness. James Potter was the most sought after guy in school, but he could not have the one girl who truly meant the most. Lily Evans. The name could brighten even the gloomiest of days. When he was with her, his whole world was like Heaven on Earth. 

            Their relationship was a strange one. Often, they were able to read each other's mind. They could tell each other anything, and not have to fear being made fun of. They understood each other like no one else could. At other times, though, they hated each other's guts. Pranking was one of their favorite pastimes. Every week they would invent new, horrible tricks. 

            Even though their relationship was a complicated one, James did know one thing.  He knew that he was in love with Lily. Before Hogwarts, he had been a lost soul. Even during the Holidays, he seemed lost without her. He couldn't imagine living life without her in it. 

            "Maybe one day you and I will meet our destiny…" he whispered almost silently, as he watched her race down the corridor. 

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One month later… 

            Sirius grinned, as he broke free of his kiss with Lily. The couple had been going out for about two weeks now, when Sirius "accidentally" admitted that he thought Lily was cute. Everyone at Hogwarts (with the exception of the Slytherins) thought that they made the cutest couple. Both were intelligent and had great personalities; their chemistry was sensational. 

            James looked on at the couple sadly. For the past two weeks, his life had been completely miserable. Sure, he was happy that Sirius and Lily had found each other, but that couldn't stop from still being in love with her. 

            "Anyone feel like cursing Snape tonight?" Sirius asked with a smirk.

            A chorus of "yes's" replied, with the exception of James. 

            "What about you, Jamesie-boy?" inquired Sirius. 

            "Nah…" he responded quietly. "I don't feel up to it, much."

            Remus placed a hand on James's forehead. "Are you feeling sick?"

            "Actually, I am."

            "You should go right up to bed then," Lily scolded, acting like quite the mother figure. 

            James smiled weakly. "Your wish is my command." He trudged up the steps to the dormitory, collecting his thoughts along the way. The truth in the matter was that he wasn't sick at all. He just couldn't stand to see Sirius and Lily make googly-eyes at each other for another minute. It was sickening… James closed his eyes as tears slowly trickled down his face. He just couldn't take it any longer; he had been in love with Lily a whole lot longer than Sirius. He deserved to have her. But what mattered when it came down to it was whom Lily chose. And Lily had chosen Sirius. James made his decision right then and there. If he stayed around the two much longer, his heart would break into a million pieces and stay that way, permanently. He had to get away… he had to run away…

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            Such beauty… She looked so peaceful when she slept. Wisps of red hair fell on her closed eyes, a slight smile on her face. James looked on in awe. He didn't want to disturb such a beautiful thing. So he planted a soft kiss on her forehead instead, then whisked away silently into the night. 

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            Lily sat down at the breakfast table the next day, next to Sirius, and across from Remus. "Hey, where's James?" she queried.

            Sirius shrugged uninterestedly. "Said something about feeling ill. He's going to skip classes today."

            Remus smirked. "You won't have anyone to assist you in your pranks today, Sirius."

            A mischievous grin lit up Sirius's face. "Oh yes I do. I have both you and Lily."

            Lily and Remus groaned in unison. This was going to be a **long** day. 

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            Something didn't feel right… Something was out of place… Something was wrong… 

            The young red head looked around her room, but nothing seemed to be missing or moved. Shrugging the feeling off, Lily reached into her trunk, grabbing her Charms book for tonight's homework. As she did, a piece of paper slipped from the pages. Curiously, Lily picked it up and read it. 

_Dear Lily,_

_            I'm sorry to say it, but I have runaway from Hogwarts. Please don't come looking for me; you won't be able to find me. And don't bother looking at my house because I have not gone there. If you search for me, it will be a lost cause. _

_I have my own reasons for running away, mostly personal. Don't take me not telling you about this until now as an insult. It was a last minute decision. _

_Although I won't be keeping in touch with you, always know that I am safe, and protected from harm. I'll always remember what a great friend you have been to me. _

_                                                                                                            Best friends for life,_

_                                                                                                                     James_

            The note fell from Lily's hands, fluttering to the floor, her eyes widening in shock. Noticing Lily's reaction to the paper, another girl in the dormitory, Giselle, raced over to her. "What's wrong, Lily?" she asked, concerned. 

            "James is gone…" Lily whispered, despair sinking in. 

            "So? Shouldn't you be counting your blessings? I thought you **hated** James!"

            The fiery young girl shook her head. "No… James and I were the best of friends. We sometimes got annoyed at each other for playing pranks, but that's about it."

            "Don't worry, Lil. He'll come back in time." Giselle noted the look of hope being lost on Lily's face. "Come on, Lil. Don't look so down. It's not like you were in love with each other or anything. You're in love with Sirius, remember?"

            "If I'm in love with Sirius, than why is my heart breaking into a million pieces right now?"

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Author's Note: MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Do you like so far? I hope you do! Please R+R!

To Juno (If you're not Juno, don't read this!): * skips around table in circles with paper towel in hand * HA HA, HA HA, HA HA! 

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Next time… 

_Lily goes on a quest to find James, but who this mysterious young man she meets along the way?_


	2. Friendly Stranger

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to Harry Potter, but I do own Jonathon Pimiskiss. 

Author's Note: MWAHAHAHAHA! The moment you've all been waiting for! * not * Well, anyway, this chapter contains the introduction of my made up character Jonathon Pimiskiss. * grins evilly at Juno *  Heh, heh, heh! This should be fun… And I included the last few paragraphs from Chapter 1 to revive your memory. Please R+R!

**_"Searching For Love"_**

**_Chapter 2: Friendly Stranger_**

By Sailor Polaris 

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            The note fell from Lily's hands, fluttering to the floor, her eyes widening in shock. Noticing Lily's reaction to the paper, another girl in the dormitory, Giselle, raced over to her. "What's wrong, Lily?" she asked, concerned. 

            "James is gone…" Lily whispered, despair sinking in. 

            "So? Shouldn't you be counting your blessings? I thought you **hated** James!"

            The fiery young girl shook her head. "No… James and I were the best of friends. We sometimes got annoyed at each other for playing pranks, but that's about it."

            "Don't worry, Lil. He'll come back in time." Giselle noted the look of hope being lost on Lily's face. "Come on, Lil. Don't look so down. It's not like you were in love with each other or anything. You're in love with Sirius, remember?"

            "If I'm in love with Sirius, than why is my heart breaking into a million pieces right now?"

            Footsteps came rushing up the stairs, the door being flung open with a loud bang. There stood Sirius and Remus, each gasping for breath. Sirius held a small piece of paper, which he handed to Lily. She took it and read once more. 

_Dear Sirius and Remus,_

_            I am sorry to say it, but I have run away from Hogwarts. My reasons for doing so are simple ones. I'm in love with Lily. She's my breath of life that gets me through each day. I'm not sure how long I've had this feeling. Maybe since the first time I met her… _

_            The point is I couldn't stand seeing Lily and Sirius together much longer. I was jealous of you, Sirius, and I thought my heart would slowly start to break now that you two were together. But I wanted you both to be happy. I feared that I might try to ruin your relationship. If you two aren't happy, then I'm not happy, so I would have just caused myself more misery than I already had. I'm sorry for leaving on such short notice, but it had to been. I hope that you can ever forgive me._

_                                                                                                Your fellow Marauder,_

_                                                                                                            James_

            The tears that she had been trying to hold back, slowly rolled down her cheeks. "He loved me?" she whispered, questioningly. 

            Sirius and Remus nodded. There was a moment of silence, and then, "You've got to go find him, Lil."

            Lily looked at Sirius, stunned. "But what about us?" 

            "There never was an us. I thought there was, but in reality, it didn't exist. The whole thing was just silly crushes, affections that would probably last only a matter of two months. But this…" He gestured toward the letter. "This is something much deeper. You two really were in love. I could see it in your eyes when you looked at each other. Eyes filled with such joy and happiness… Eyes that sparkled with hope for the future… I tried to ignore it at first, but I can ignore it no longer. Do as I say, Lily, and go after him."

            Lily smiled gratefully. "That you, Sirius. I'll never forget you for what you've done for me." She gave a hug, then ran down to Dumbledore's office to make arrangements with him. 

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            Wearily, Lily trudged into the Three Broomsticks. It had been a long night. First, the discovery of James's disappearance, and then a whole night of searching for him, lasting until the wee hours of the morning.  This was her last stop for the night. She would continue her quest tomorrow. 

            Stepping up to the counter, Lily ordered a large mug of butterbeer, then began to question Madam Rosmerta. "Have you seen James Potter around here lately?"

            Madam Rosmerta raised an eyebrow. "You should know that the last time I saw him was on the students' last visit to Hogsmeade. Why would he be here anyway? For that matter, why are you here?"

            "Oh, no reason," Lily replied quickly. "Got to be going…" She left the counter and walked to a table in the corner of the room. Her eyes wandered. The only other customer was a young man, who looked to be about her age, or a year older. He had chestnut hair that fell in his sparkling blue eyes. A small grin hinted at his lips as he read the book that sat on the table.

            Lily quietly walked up to the table and cleared her throat. "Excuse me…"

            The young man looked up from his reading and smiled. His teeth were pearly white, and his dimples were just adorable. "Yes?" 

            "I was wondering if you had seen another young man in here lately. He was pretty tall and thin, had messy raven hair, brown eyes, and wore thick black glasses."

            Eyebrows cocked, the man began to search his memory of every customer that had been in there that day. After a minute or so he gave up. "I'm sorry, miss, but I haven't seen anyone by that description." He paused for a moment. "Would you care to accompany me?" he asked in a gentlemanly tone, gesturing to a chair across the table.

            "All right…" Lily sat down in the seat indicated. "I'm afraid I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Lily Evans." 

            "How do you do Lily? My name's Jonathon Pimiskiss." Jonathon held his hand out, and Lily shook it. 

            "What brings you to Hogsmeade, Jonathon?" 

            "Ministry business."

            Now it was Lily's turn to cock an eyebrow. "Oh? You seem a bit young to be working at the Ministry."

            The young man's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Actually, I'm just the right age. I'm a year older than you. I just graduated from Hogwarts last year."

             Confusion seeped onto Lily's face. "How'd you know I was in my seventh year at Hogwarts? And how come I never saw you around?"

            Jonathon laughed. "Who doesn't know you? Famous Lily Evans. You, James Potter, and Sirius Black were Gryffindor's star Quidditch players. Do you know how many times I watched you guys slaughter my house's team, and then win the championships?"

            Lily giggled at her own foolishness. "I guess you're right about that one. But you still haven't answered why I've seen you around."

            "I was a Ravenclaw. Most people outside my house and outside my grade didn't know me because I was very quiet and shy."

            "Really now? You don't seem that way to me."

            He smirked. "If you ever go into the Ministry keep your eyes and ears closed. It's corrupted me. Greatly."

            Lily chuckled to herself. "I'll be sure to take your advice." She looked at her watch. "Oh, my! I better be getting a room and getting some rest before I catch my train tomorrow." 

            Jonathon stood up as Lily pushed her chair out, and held out his hand once more. "It was nice meeting you."

            "A pleasure," Lily grinned. 

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            The alarm rang at 5:00 that morning. Lily groaned tiredly. She had only had three hours of restless sleep. Tossing and turning all night, Lily hadn't been able to get James off of her mind. And Jonathon…

            Lily shook the thought away. Whatever feelings she had for Jonathon were substantial compared to what she felt for James. Her heart stopped when thinking of him… Breaking… Shattering… 

            Slowly, she arose from her bed, her bones aching from the bit of hiking she had done last night when looking for James in the mountains. It was a great place to be if you were to go into hiding, with all of its small, unknown caves. That's probably why Dumbledore had suggested she look there first. 

            But no, he hadn't been there, or in Hogsmeade at all. For all she knew, he could be in Timbuktu. For this reason, she was going to London. She didn't really think that James would travel to some foreign land as of yet. He hadn't even graduated from Hogwarts, so he would probably be uncomfortable in anywhere but his native country. But Lily didn't put it past him to be somewhere faraway, while keeping in the territory that he knew. 

            Her train would leave at 7:00. She would be able to have a quick breakfast in the Three Broomsticks, explore the town a little bit more, and be just in time to catch the train. 

            Quietly, so as not to wake anyone, Lily descended the stairs of the upper level of the Three Broomsticks. 

            Reaching the counter, she asked Madam Rosmerta to make her a cheese omelet. 

            Wiping the crumbs and bits of cheese dripping off her face, Lily then set out to explore the town a little more.

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            Seven o'clock was rolling around, and Lily had completely lost track of time. Once more, she had been exploring the mountains, looking for spots she had missed the day before. Finally, after about an hour and a half of searching, Lily looked at her watch.

            6:55…

            Her eyes widened. "Oh, shoot…" she muttered in complete disbelief. Where had the time gone?

            As fast as lightening, Lily started to race down the mountain.

            6:56…

            An eighth of the way to the station…

            6:57…

            One fourth of the way there…

            6:58…

            Lily picked up speed as the mountain smoothed out some. Almost there…

            6:59…

            She could see the last of the passengers boarding the train in the distance.

            7:00…

            Finally, flat ground! But as looked up, panting, she saw the train lurch to a start!

            7:01…

            The train station at last! But she could quickly jump onto the train without hurting herself? It was worth a try. Lily threw her bags into the empty door, and tried to hop on, while running along beside it. But she found that she couldn't make it.

            7:02…

            One last time, the young girl tried to hop onto the train. And instead of her hand grasping air this time, it found some solid matter. Another human hand… Pulling her up onto the train…

            "Thanks," she gasped, as she landed in the stranger's arms.

            "You're welcome," a familiar voice replied. 

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Author's Note: * starts laughing hysterically * HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! LOL, I'm just a bit hyper at the moment, because I FINALLY found the time to finish this. Sorry to all of those who've been waiting a long time for this second chapter. But I do have some good news. I finally found out how to make something bold and italics and have it show up on fanfiction.net! YAY! Ok, hopefully I'll get the next chapter out sooner, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to. And to all of you who decide to stop reading here because I have a new character, and you think I'll put him with Lily, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE continue reading! This is like no other story, I can guarantee you that much. So please continue to check regularly for new chapters. And please review! Thanks a bunch, you guys!

~*~ Sailor Polaris ~*~


	3. Glimpses of the Past

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other related characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling. I do however, own Jonathon Pimiskiss so don't steal him!

Author's Note: Ok, you may be thinking that Jonathon's somewhat like a guy version of a Mary Sue. That's true in the last chapter, but I'll be developing his faults in this chapter. And like I said at the end of the last chapter, please keep reading despite what you think the outcome of the plot might be because I guarantee you it'll be like nothing you've ever read before. With that said and done, enjoy! (And please review!)

**_"Searching For Love"_**

**_Chapter 3: Glimpses of the Past_**

By Sailor Polaris 

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One last time, the young girl tried to hop onto the train. And instead of her hand grasping air this time, it found some solid matter. Another human hand… Pulling her up onto the train…

            "Thanks," Lily gasped, as she landed in the stranger's arms.

            "You're welcome," a familiar voice replied. 

            Lily looked up into the face of the person holding her, a grin playing about her lips. "You…" she whispered.

            "Me…" Jonathon answered, smiling widely. He unwrapped his arms from around her and started to lead her to a compartment that was free. "I have so many memories of this train…" he said, wistfully.

            "You miss it, don't you?" Lily questioned.

            "You're right; I do miss it. Sometimes I find myself wishing at night, that I was still back in Hogwarts, back when life was still simple, when I didn't have to deal with the trials and tribulations of the real world."

            Lily nodded. "I know what you mean." Silence. "So," she continued, trying to change the subject, "I thought you had Ministry business. What happened?"

            The two sat down on the soft, plush seats of the compartment. "What do you mean what happened? I finished my business, that's what happened," Jonathon laughed.

            She blushed crimson in embarrassment. "Oh."

            He chuckled some more. "It's ok. But now it's your turn to tell me what you're doing on the train. We never got around to talking about that yesterday. I mean, aren't you supposed to be in school?"

            Sighing, Lily began to tell her story of James, the love she had lost. Only silence from Jonathon. And then…

            Laughter. Wait a minute, was she hearing right? Lily stuck her finger in her ear, trying to clean it out. But when it was all clear, Jonathon was still laughing. "Excuse me," she growled, narrowing her eyes, "but what do you find so funny?"

            Between gasps for breath, Jonathon managed to choke out his answer, still laughing all the while. "You came all this way just to look for a guy?" He broke out into more fits of it. 

            "And what, may I ask, do you find so funny about that?"

            "It's so… childish!" he snickered.

            That was the last straw. Lily took the Pumpkin Juice she had been sipping and poured it all of over his lap. "Oops," she said in a sarcastic tone, "I'm sorry for spilling my Pumpkin Juice all over you. 

            He jumped up out of his seat, the orange liquid dripping from his pants. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

            Lily turned to him, a smile on her face. "My, why would you ever think that?"

            "You little brat! You've ruined my best suit!" Jonathon's eyes narrowed with a wicked gleam in them. "Lily Evans, this means war!" he snarled, stalking out of the compartment. 

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            Finally, the long train ride to London ended. Lily strode off of it, breezing past Jonathon, never making eye contact with him, as he gathered his luggage. 

            "And hello to you too," he mumbled angrily under his breath as she walked past. 

            She would be staying at the Leaky Cauldron, always a favorite of hers when she visited in the summer to get her supplies. Hopefully, Jonathon wouldn't also be staying there. Somehow, she doubted he would, though. He probably had his own place in London since he **did** work for the Ministry. 

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            Lily was up bright and early the next morning, searching through all the shops on Diagon Alley, and inquiring with the shop keepers about James's presence there. So far, out of the ten shops she had looked in, there had been no trace of him. 

            Now she sat at the ice cream parlor that was so popular with the younger children, and quite a hangout for some of the teenagers on their Christmas break. She had a hot fudge sundae in front of her, although it lay untouched. There were more important things to think about. 

            Over and over again, Lily traced the route she had already taken in her head. But nothing that seemed unusual was there.

            One last thing to do… She closed her eyes and concentrated with her might. If she were successful she would pick up James's aura. 

            It became stronger and more distinct as each moment passed by. He had been here, or was near by. 

            "Hey…"

            Drat! Her concentration had been broken. Lily looked up into Jonathon's sparkling baby blues. "What do you want?" she asked coldly.

            The smile that had been pasted on his face slowly faded. "I just came to apologize. I'm really sorry about what I said yesterday."

            "You didn't seem to feel so bad about it on the train!" Lily snapped. 

            A frown replaced the smile and a hint of sadness. He gestured to a chair. "May I?"

            "I don't see what's stopping you."

            "Thanks," he replied sitting down. Jonathon looked at Lily, a look of determination and urgent ness on his face. "I've come to explain why I acted the way I did. That's not the real me you saw yesterday. The real me is more like the one you saw in the Three Broomsticks." He sighed and continued. "I guess I just said what I did because I was jealous."

            Lily gave him a questioning look but stayed silent. 

            "You see I've never had a serious relationship. With anybody… I've always wanted one, but when I was in Hogwarts no one seemed to want to go out with me since I was so quiet and shy. I believe, and always have, that love is the most important item in a happy life. Maybe it's because I've never had anyone who really loved me. Both my parents died in a car crash when I was young. My older sister and I were sent to a Muggle orphanage. She was adopted a month after we arrived, but me…" He stopped short, the memories of yesteryear running across his eyes. "I'm sorry…" Jonathon smiled painfully. "I'm not sure why I'm telling you this. I just wanted you to know why I acted the way I did. And I'm really, truly sorry for it. I hope you can ever forgive me."

            Lily placed her hand gently on top of his. "It's ok, Jonathon. I forgive you." She paused, at a loss for words. 

            Jonathon smiled again. "I'm not sure why, but I have a feeling we'll be running into each other a whole lot more."

            "Yeah…" Lily breathed almost silently. 

            "Say, why don't I help you look for this James. What spells have you got planned to track him?"

            The redhead blushed crimson. "None, actually. I was just planning to hunt him down using his aura." She grinned widely. "And then bash him over the head for scaring me like that."

            Laughter erupted from Jonathon. "You sure are the aggressive one, aren't you?"

            Lily smiled mischievously. "I sure am. Well, what spells can **you** think of, Mr. Smarty-Pants?"

            Now it was Jonathon's turn to flush. "Uh… I can't really think of anything either. Using auras seems like a good idea to me. But how are we going to find where James went? Auras only work in telling whether a person has recently been in a place or is currently near."

            She bit her lip in frustration. "Although I hate to admit, you're right you know."

            Jonathon chuckled. "I'm flattered. But then again, I'm **always** right."

            "What ever happened to that quiet and shy person you said existed at Hogwarts?" Lily asked, annoyed.

            "Like I said before, the Ministry corrupted me."

            "All right, enough small talk," Lily replied, laughing. "We have to address the problem of James." She paused. "You sure you want to help me? Don't you have work to do with the Ministry?"

            "Nope, I don't have anything to do. My assignment in Hogsmeade was my last one before Christmas break. Normally, they keep employees working throughout break, but since I'm new I get off. And besides, I like rescuing damsels in distress in my spare time."

            "Let's get something straight, buddy. I am **no** damsel in distress! I can fend for myself quite fine." As an afterthought she added, "You can follow my rules and cooperate with me, or just go your own separate way."

            Jonathon imitated a hissing cat. "Someone's a bit feisty. But I will play by your rules." He rubbed his hands together. "So, when do we start?"

            "Well, I would say tomorrow, but I don't want him to get farther ahead of us than he already is. How about, in an hour?"

            "You're on!"

            "Ok, meet me at the Leaky Cauldron." Lily grinned at the young, handsome man standing before her. As he turned to leave, she caught his hand. "Jonathon?" 

            He looked up at her. "Yeah?"

            "Thanks again." She pecked him on the cheek, turned the other way, and ran.

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Author's Note: MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I am so evil, aren't I? I bet Juno didn't even see **that** coming! * laughs evilly * Well, please review! And don't stop reading just because Lily pecked Jonathon on the cheek. Don't worry, everything will be fine in the end!

~Sailor Polaris~


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